5 minute read
Sex Workers Art Show
Patricia R. Arans
I attended The Sex Workers Art Show last Friday. I did not know what to expect, and I happily attended and took a seat up in the front row, at which point I freaked out wondering if I had just entered into a live sex show. But then I calmed my nerves, and decided to give the show a chance. It turned out to be more than just theatrical entertainment; the show was abundant with metaphors, political messages, and symbolism. For all the disagreement surrounding the show, I believe that it is only fair that I was provided with something worth a little controversy. Dressed stylishly yet conservatively, Annie Oakley was the host of the show, and she aimed to prove that the workers of the sex industry are brilliant and talented artists. In her introduction of the evening, Oakley implied that sex workers don’t get the acknowledgement that they deserve for their talents because, she said, the industry is “silenced.” The sex industry exists, for the most part, underground. Oakley offered the audience some statistics about the undercover popularity and financial success of the sex industry and described how people seem to prefer the workers of the industry to remain anonymous. She described the phenomena with further detail, claiming that our nation’s consumers don’t want to know where a lot of our products come from. Our hamburgers, Oakley told us, are brought to our plates by “fairies from hamburger land,” reminding me personally of my own concern that we as American consumers may be purchasing products originating from sweatshop factories, which employ impoverished underage workers. The Show featured various performers displaying their talents in a series of one-act performances. At the beginning of the show, performer
Dirty Martini was introduced by Oakley as having the richly deserved title of “Best Body in Burlesque.” Dirty Martini, an extremely voluptuous woman, displayed her award-winning body on stage in an artistic performance art piece which referenced symbols of America, money, and justice. The Sex Workers Art Show, although lacking in modesty throughout, featured several very elegant characters that seemed to compensate for the mature nature of the show. A performer whose legal name is supposedly The World Famous Bob appeared on stage in two separate acts. Her “sweet hometown girl-next-door” appeal was very refreshing, first in a monologue in which she described her personal experience and history in the sex industry, and then again in a demonstration of how to shake a martini with no hands. Many people who are concerned with the politics of body image would appreciate that the also voluptuous The World Famous Bob, who is not nearly as voluptuous as Dirty Martini, confessed to the audience that she refuses to starve for anyone. Erin Markey also brought class to the stage with her brilliant talent. She proved herself to be an exceptional actress of the sex industry. Some of the topless performers featured that evening were wearing classically tacky pasties, but not Erin Markey. Of course, it is not as though I didn’t expect some vulgarity. What would a sex worker show be without a little bit? In truth, the show provided some eye opening exposure as to what takes place within the Sex Industry. Asian Dominatrix Keva I. Lee wore pasties which looked like this: X X, and with the help of a member from the audience, her act turned out to be possibly the most enlightening one of the evening. Keva I. Lee expressed herself as not only a character in a sexual fantasy, but also as a human being. She publicized some of her experiences as a dominatrix, revealing to the audience some of her customer’s desires: to hear her speak in a language which they don’t even understand, saying what they want to hear (as opposed to what she is actually saying). Keva I. Lee teaches a lesson; don’t underestimate the intelligence of “exotic” foreign women.
As for the rest of the show, I can say that the two performers who read some of their personal writing managed to equally bring both vulgarity and elegance to the stage. Chris Kraus and porn star Lorelei Lee are both writers who bravely read aloud some of their work for the audience. They combined vulgarity within their X rated stories with elegance, by representing themselves honestly, appearing onstage nicely dressed and, like all the performers of the evening, expressing sincere aspects of their characters. Lorelei Lee appeared in a revealing, sexy short pinstripe and lace trim dress. Chris Kraus looked conservative and stylishly poetic, appearing very “writerly.” All the performers should be applauded for their talent and bravery in exposing themselves and their silenced art.
For the grand finale, Krylon Superstar made his grand entrance through the crowd, appearing in drag, and stripping down to reveal “FUCK BUSH” taped across his chest with red tape (evidently the same red tape Krylon used to tape up her platform shoes so that they would match the red leggings). It was not until towards the end of the show that Annie Oakley spoke to the audience in greater detail about some of the controversy surrounding the show. Not only was the show in Richmond not able to take place at VCU as originally planned, but schools in Virginia that hosted The Sex Workers Art Show were facing the threat of budget cuts. I don’t know for sure but I did hear that the show had a room reserved on campus. I missed the press conference, but the story I have constructed based on hearsay is that VCU cancelled the reservation, providing excuses for being unable to host the show and basically following the manipulative trend of rejecting The Sex Workers Art Show. In Virginia, I know that this type of conservative mentality of intolerance is the underlying reason for many broken hearts. People are different; people come from all kinds of different places and backgrounds. Anyone who has ever been excluded, shunned, victimized or targeted because they stuck out has an understanding within their hearts of how intolerance and prejudice
hurts. Within our society, the focus on judging others, and the fear of being judged, remains threaded within the mentality of conformity. Call it an ongoing witch-hunt, if you will. The Sex Workers Art Show faced enough scrutiny in Virginia to feel the conservative sentiment against them. There were protesters, there were university bans, and controversy surrounded the whole ordeal of The Sex Workers Art Show, with disapproval stemming from various sources. The Gay Community Center of Richmond hosted the show for its Richmond performance, the final stop of their tour in Virginia. Despite the constant threat of public scrutiny against them, the Richmond performance of The Sex Workers Art Show turned out to be successful, and it looked as though people really did have a good time. I’m so glad that Richmond was able to host the show after all.
